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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793883">The Purpose of My Reincarnation</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodge/pseuds/Rodge'>Rodge</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A long journey but eventually True Pacifist, Chara Says Swears, Gen, Nonbinary Chara (Undertale)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:55:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,662</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodge/pseuds/Rodge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chara, from the beginning to the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chara &amp; Asriel Dreemurr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Falling Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have played Undertale dozens of times but I have read maaaaybe two fanfics and those were back in 2015, so if this fic hits all the fandom cliches or whatever I take no responsibility. </p>
<p>This fic is still in-progress but it's gonna be... fairly long? I should have waited and just done NaNoWriMo. </p>
<p>Look on my headcanons, ye mighty, and despair.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chara had almost expected to fall forever, but the ground comes up sooner than they expect, forcing their arm hard into their ribcage and making both of them snap. It hurts. It hurts so much that Chara wants to cry, but they haven’t cried since they were practically a baby and they... feel an old familiar rage bubbling up inside them. How can it hurt? This was all supposed to make the pain go away. How dare their stupid human body make the end of the pain <em> hurt? </em> It’s not <em> fair. </em> They roll onto their stomach, burying their face in the dirt to muffle their scream. The dirt gets wet somehow. Chara doesn’t know how. Maybe it was always wet. Shut up. <em> Shut up. </em>The only thing left to do is wait. </p><p>“It sounds like it came from over here!” Huh. That… wasn’t what they were waiting for. Chara had never really believed the stories of the monsters in the darkness, but if they had to pick between dying slowly of exposure inside a mountain or being torn apart and eaten inside a mountain… at least one was quicker. Less time for regrets. </p><p>Footsteps, light ones, bounce across the ground, pause briefly with a cry of, “oh!” and then run with purpose towards Chara’s unfortunately-not-broken-enough body, crouching down at their side. Chara does not turn to look. “You’ve fallen down, haven’t you?”</p><p><em> No shit </em>, Chara thinks, burying their face harder in the mud, which has always been mud. <em> Now hurry up and kill me </em>. </p><p>“Are you okay?” Someone pushes lightly at their shoulder, sending a tsunami of pain through their arm, and Chara curses as loudly and creatively as they know how. The footsteps stumble backwards for a second, then spring <em> over </em> Chara to land on their good side. “Here, get up…” </p><p>Being pulled up by their good arm still <em> blows</em>, but it’s better than the alternative, and after a minute or so Chara’s vision clears enough to see… a kid. A fluffy white kid who looks a little like a goat, smiling gently and holding Chara’s hand. </p><p>“What’s your name?” it asks, reaching into its pocket and producing a candy. “Here, try this. It’ll give you energy.” </p><p>“Chara,” Chara says, lacking the energy to lie. They shove the candy into their mouth, finding that it dissolves easily and makes them feel just a little more alert. Weird. </p><p>“Chara, huh?” It smiles wider. “That’s a nice name. My name is Asriel Dreemurr.” </p><p>“That’s a dumb name,” Chara says, feeling a sharp stab of triumph and something else they can’t quite name as the smile slips off Asriel’s face. “Almost as bad as Chara,” they add, and the stabbing eases off a little. </p><p>“You’re silly,” Asriel says, giggling. “Let’s go see my mom. She can help you.” </p><p> </p><p>Asriel, humming contentedly with his arm around Chara’s shoulders, is setting off all of Chara’s <em> younger kid, easy target </em> alarm bells. The <em> much larger </em> goat monster that’s stepping forward from the huge stone door sets off different alarm bells entirely, but they’re too tired to run. They’re not sure they want to. Wasn’t that the point? </p><p>“Oh, you’re hurt!” The larger monster exclaims, rushing over to them and taking Chara’s arm in a surprisingly soft grip. “You poor child. Do not worry, I know healing magic. I can fix you up in a jiffy!” It seems pleased to know this little piece of human slang. Chara distantly wonders how it knows, but they don’t care too much. The feeling of their bones knitting themselves back together is way too much of a distraction. </p><p>“Shit,” they say. “That’s so <em> weird</em>. Ow, fuck!” </p><p>Asriel giggles, clasping his hands over his mouth. “That’s a bad word!” </p><p>“One that you’d better not repeat,” the monster who must be Asriel’s mom says sternly, letting go of Chara’s arm and patting their shoulder. “There. Is that better?”</p><p>Chara tests out their arm and nods. They test out a few things to say, eventually settling on, “you should have left me there. What am I supposed to do now?” </p><p>“You’ll come with us, of course,” Asriel’s mom says, smiling down at Chara. “My husband and I will take care of you like our own dear child.” </p><p>“You’ll regret it,” Chara says, like an idiot. “You think I’m a good kid but I’m not. I’m a demon. I’ll hurt you.” </p><p>Her warm, fuzzy hand rests on Chara’s head. “Don’t say such things, little one. We will take care of you.” </p><p>Chara closes their eyes to make the pricking feeling stop and leans heavily into Asriel’s side. “Okay. I’m tired.”</p><p>Asriel hugs them. Chara feels the beat of his heart echoing in their chest. “You can sleep in my room. You’re lucky you fell today! We’re moving to a new home <em> right now</em>. We probably won’t be back here for ages. Maybe forever.” </p><p>Chara doesn’t know whether that really makes them lucky or not, but they nod anyway, and when Asriel’s mom picks them up as easily as the ragdoll they left behind in the village, they don’t resist. </p><p>“My name is Toriel,” she says in their ear. “Perhaps, in time, you could come to call me ‘mother’.” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Toriel’s husband, who is called Asgore and is easily the biggest creature Chara has ever seen not chained up, meets them on the way to wherever they’re going. Chara is too tired to object to him taking the burden of carrying them around like they’re a baby. It isn’t so bad, anyway. His hands are gentle and his cloak is soft enough that hiding from the other monsters in it isn’t irritating. And there are so many monsters to hide from. </p><p>There are so, <em> so </em> many monsters, more than Chara had ever imagined or doodled in the dirt while imagining slaughter, and they range from ‘friendly little animal critters’ to ‘you are literally just a head, what the f- heck’ to ‘a whirling mess of teeth and claws’, and every last one of them wants to get into Chara’s face and ask stupid questions. Asgore, who Chara guesses is important somehow, tightens his cloak around Chara and promises explanations later. As thanks, Chara drops the sharp rock they’d been clutching into his pocket. </p><p> </p><p>They pass through a darkening city, through snowy fields where some furry monsters are setting up tents, through gently lit stone halls with water lapping at their feet, through a maze of darkness, through lava fields and then up endless stairs to what must be close to the top of the mountain, until finally they’re at… a house, with little mossy plants growing in the windows and a fire burning in the grate. Chara lets Asgore deposit them in an armchair so big they feel like they could build a house of their own in it, and they doze while the monsters speak amongst themselves. For some reason, the sound of adults talking isn’t sending them into a frenzy of anticipation like usual. Not even the thumping of something heavy being hauled through the house can make them awake enough to worry. Something smells delicious, too, but they’ve known for years not to get excited about food. </p><p>They still jump when a large furry hand lands on their shoulder. “Ah,” Asgore says, not pulling his hand back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” </p><p>“I’m not scared,” Chara says automatically, and is surprised to find that they are telling the truth. </p><p>“Well, good. I’m just here to tell you that dinner is ready. Would you like to eat at the table with us?” </p><p>Chara blinks. “Really?” </p><p>Asgore blinks back, his mouth turning down in a way that gives Chara a strange satisfaction. “Yes. Of course. Is that… new to you?” </p><p>“No,” Chara says, wriggling out of Asgore’s cloak and dropping firmly to the floor. “Why would it be? I do it all the time.” </p><p>Asgore picks his abandoned cloak up and hangs it next to the door. “Okay. You go wash up while we set the table. You don’t have to help tonight. Bathroom’s down the hall on the right.” </p><p> </p><p>Chara wanders down the hall, holding their hands out in front of them. <em> L shape is left. Backwards L shape is right</em>. They try the doors, finding a coat closet, an empty little room that might be for storage and finally the bathroom, which has a huge tub, a sink that Chara can reach fairly easily, and no toilet. That’s not a problem right now, since Chara doesn’t have to go, but it’s confusing. After they wash their hands, and their face, and then as much exposed skin as they can find because <em> wow </em> they’re filthy actually, they check the coat closet and the storage room and then the bathroom again, just in case it was hiding inside the bathtub or something. </p><p>Right around the third time they check the coat closet, Asriel comes bounding over again. “Hey! What’s wrong, Chara? Have you lost something?” </p><p>“Where’s your toilet?” Chara asks. “Is it outside?” </p><p>“Our what?” Asriel looks confused, and then his eyes widen. “Oh! Humans are different from monsters, aren’t they… you guys have to digest food. We don’t have anything for... that stuff, but I’ll ask my mom and dad if they can have something built.” </p><p>“Don’t ask your-” Chara starts, but Asriel is already running back down the hall to tug his mom’s sleeve and whisper in her ear. Toriel looks over, and Chara feels their face start to burn. They open the door to the coat closet and walk inside. It’s a nice coat closet. Roomy. Full of coats. Maybe if they stay here long enough the goat family will forget they exist and they can sneak out and drown in the river. Or the lava. That might be quicker. </p><p>Someone knocks on the door to the closet. “Hello? Chara?” It’s Toriel. Chara would rather die than speak to Toriel right now, so they shuffle further back into the coats. “I saw you walk in here, Chara. Please come out.” The doorknob rattles. </p><p>“Chara doesn’t exist,” they try. “You imagined m- them. There’s nobody here but us coats.” <em>Stupid. Stupid! Of course that isn't going to work.</em></p><p>There’s a pause. “I see,” Toriel says. It sounds like she’s trying not to laugh. “Then would one coat in particular like to come out and have dinner with us?” </p><p>“Coats don’t eat dinner and dinner sucks anyway.” Maybe if they insult Toriel’s cooking, she’ll go away and they can die in peace. </p><p>“There is also dessert. Do coats eat dessert?” </p><p>That changes things. Chara opens the door just a crack. “They might. It depends on what dessert is.” </p><p>“It is a sweet dish served at the end of a meal,” Toriel says. </p><p>Chara opens the door a little more just to give her a Look. “Wow, thanks. What did you <em> make? </em>” </p><p>Toriel laughs. Chara doesn’t even come up to her waist, but for some reason they don’t feel scared-small. Just short-small. “Butterscotch pie. Do coats like butterscotch?” </p><p>“They prefer cinnamon,” Chara says, shuffling out of the closet, “but butterscotch will do.” </p><p>“I see,” Toriel says, stroking their hair. “I will try out a recipe with cinnamon next time.” She takes their hand and leads them back down the hall towards the dinner table. For some reason, Chara doesn’t pull away. </p><p>“Chara!” Asriel waves like he’s across a crowded room and not six feet away from Chara. “You can sit with me!” </p><p>Three of the chairs at the table look almost identical, only size giving away that they’re not all for the same person. The fourth one is much shabbier, the legs a little longer and wobblier and the carvings different. Asriel is sitting on it, beaming, legs swinging. Chara blinks away the prickly feeling again and climbs up onto the chair next to him. </p><p> </p><p>Dinner is some kind of grilled fish and vegetables that Chara doesn’t recognise. They must only grow underground. It tastes incredible, but Chara can feel it somehow dissolve as soon as they swallow it, and their stomach doesn’t become full so much as the gnawing hunger that is their constant companion fades into nothingness. They would ask about it, but they’re too busy eating, and then dessert knocks every question they’ve ever had right out of their head. Their hands and mouth are sticky with butterscotch and ice cream by the time Toriel ushers them back down the hallway towards the bathroom. </p><p>“I don’t want a bath,” Chara says, hands pulling their shirt down firmly. “If you grab me I’ll scream.” </p><p>“Tonight, you may just wash your hands and face,” Toriel says calmly. “Tomorrow, I will show you how to fill the tub.” </p><p>“You could get in with me,” Asriel suggests. “We can share toys.” </p><p>Chara shakes their head. </p><p>“Chara can share your toys when they take their own bath,” Asgore says. “Now come on, sport, let’s get you clean!” He grabs Asriel and tosses him into the air in one smooth, practiced motion, and Asriel shrieks in delight as his head comes dangerously close to the ceiling. </p><p>“While they’re busy,” Toriel says, taking Chara’s hand again, “let me show you your room. You’ll be sharing with Asriel. I hope you don’t mind.” </p><p>Chara shakes their head and allows her to lead them into one of the rooms on the left of the hallway. They’re not sure what they’re expecting, but a neat little room with a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a toybox and <em> two </em> small beds, made up with grey sheets and fluffy pillows, isn’t it. <em> That must have been the thumping noise from earlier.  </em></p><p>“I know the bed is a little boring,” Toriel says, sounding apologetic for some reason, “but we just moved in, and we didn’t want to guess your favourite colour.” </p><p>“It’s fine,” Chara says. Their voice doesn’t come out right. It sounds all squeaky and stupid. They clear their throat and try again. “It’s good.” </p><p>“Good,” Toriel says. “We will have new clothes made for you tomorrow, but for tonight you can borrow Asriel’s pyjamas.” She points to one of the beds, where a pair of striped pyjamas are laid out. They look too soft and clean for Chara to touch with their filthy body, so they just stand there and look at them like the pyjamas will respond if they stare long enough. </p><p>Toriel is stroking Chara’s hair again. Chara’s gross, limp hair. They swallow and look up at her. “Can you teach me how to fill the tub tonight?” </p><p>Toriel smiles down at them. “Of course.” </p><p> </p><p>There’s no soap, which makes sense because Asriel and his family are furry, and the shampoo is <em> not </em> made for Chara’s hair type, but they manage to scrub themselves hard enough to get the dirt off anyway, their gently-abraded skin looking absurdly pink against the white of the tub. They carefully avoid looking in the mirror as they dry off and put on the pyjamas, which are just a tiny bit too short, but as they exit the bathroom they’re caught off-guard by their own reflection staring back from the opposite wall. The soft, too-long hair, the reddened, unsmiling face, the wide brown eyes…</p><p>
  <em> It’s me. Chara.  </em>
</p><p>They hurry down the hallway, their bare feet sounding too loud against the wooden floor, to their new bedroom. </p><p> </p><p>Asriel falls asleep midway through Asgore’s bedtime story, but Chara sits up, rapt, until the end of the chapter. Next, they obediently lie down while Toriel tucks them in and wishes them goodnight, nodding along to everything she says, though they’re watching the pattern on her dress move instead of listening.</p><p>"There's just one more thing, Chara," Toriel says, crouching down to meet their eyes. Chara looks away. "I'm letting you get away with it because you were hurt, but in the future, we don't curse in this family." She smooths Chara's hair, makes sure the covers are tucked in, and walks towards the door without waiting for an answer.</p><p>Chara turns their head to watch her go. <em> Bitch</em>, they mouth at her back. <em> Fucker. </em><em>Cunt</em>.</p><p>She turns the light off and closes the door without turning around. Chara falls once again into the welcoming darkness.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Creepy Smile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chara gets dressed and learns how to smile. Sort of.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When they wake up in the morning, there is a wild, terrifying moment in which they have no idea where they are. They’re encased in warm softness and they feel well-rested and the feeling is so alien that they flail against it and keep flailing until they hit the cold, hard floor and open their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bedroom is empty, but it’s still there. The bed opposite has been haphazardly made, as if whoever made it was too small to reach all the way across. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, right. Asriel.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara tries to make their bed look like Asriel’s, with results best described as </span>
  <em>
    <span>gold star for effort,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and walks carefully down the hallway. They check the bathroom for their clothes first, then head, pyjama-clad, into the little living area. The fireplace is blazing and Asriel’s dad- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Asgore</span>
  </em>
  <span>- is there reading a newspaper. Chara can’t quite see the headline before Asgore looks up and sees them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Howdy!” he says, smiling warmly. “Good to see you up and about. Breakfast is nearly ready.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara gives him a doubtful look. “Howdy?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s something humans say, isn’t it?” Asgore nods to a little chair beside the fire. “Come sit down. Tori and Asriel are in the kitchen.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara sits down, craning their neck to see the newspaper as Asgore picks it up again. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Royal Family Arrive in New Home,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” they read aloud. “Is that you guys?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asgore nods. “I’m the King of all monsters,” he says, licking his finger and turning the page. “One day, that title will go to Asriel. He’ll marry, and then one day it will go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> child. I’m sure New Home will be very happy with him.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>city </span>
  </em>
  <span>is called New Home?” Chara asks. “What was the name of the old city?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Home,” Asgore says, looking oddly sheepish for a goat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara blinks. “Wow. Whoever named it is </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad with names.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asgore laughs and ruffles Chara’s hair. “I get that a lot. Oh! I have something to show you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He leads Chara to the storage room they’d looked into yesterday. He doesn’t try to take their hand, like he knows the size difference would be too much, and Chara is grateful. With a grand gesture, he sweeps open the door of the closet to reveal… a small bathroom, with a human-sized sink and toilet, and in the corner, a little shower with a curtain. There’s a bar of soap in a dish on the sink and a small bottle of shampoo balanced precariously on the shower controls. The label reads </span>
  <em>
    <span>NEW! APPLE FLAVOR! NOW SUITABLE FOR HUMANS! </span>
  </em>
  <span>A yellow towel hangs on a rail, along with their clothes, which seem to be newly laundered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For you,” he says. “You’re welcome to use the tub too, of course, but… well, sometimes we take a little while to bathe. All this fur, you know. Needs a lot of shampoo.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara swallows. They know what they’re supposed to say, but they can’t say it. All they can manage is, “I slept through this being installed?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wasn’t really noisy,” Asgore says, smiling down at them. “We used magic to make it quieter.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Chara says. They realise they’re leaning against Asgore, and move away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Chara! You’re finally up!” Out of nowhere, Asriel grabs them into a side-hug and pushes them towards the table. “Do you like your new bathroom? Mom washed your clothes but you can eat in your PJs, that’s what I do. We made pancakes!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let Chara wake up in their own time,” Toriel scolds mildly, emerging from the kitchen with a plate of pancakes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Chara says, hopping onto the chair that matches. It’s their chair now. The worn one can be Asriel’s. “I’ll have to get used to it anyway.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After breakfast, they head out to get Chara some new clothes. The tailor’s shop is a family-run joint on the other side of New Home, which means Chara gets to walk all the way across the city with their new family. It’s kind of nice, except...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“If someone is looking at you,” Toriel had said as they left the house, “do not look away. Meet their eyes and say ‘greetings!’ Be friendly! Remember that you belong here.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara meets four of the eyes of the nearest monster. It’s a good effort, since they only have two and the monster has at least ten. “Greetings!” they say. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh… yeah. I… Greetings, right. Greetings!” the monster says, and looks away. “Wow, look at the time. Places to be…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> keeps happening. Chara’s tried it on a bunch of monsters now, and nobody has been friendly back. They must look dejected enough that Asriel notices, because a small furry hand slips into theirs and squeezes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” Asriel says to them. “They’re probably busy looking at mom and dad.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara squeezes back, and they walk the rest of the way in silence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While Chara is being measured for new clothes, standing uncomfortably with their arms out like a bird, Asriel tries on the hats that are hung up waiting for a head. None of them want </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> head, though, and a particularly big one falls all the way to his neck, covering his face. He yelps and stumbles backwards, tripping over his own feet, and grabs a curtain to try and steady himself. It rips right off the railing, and Asriel crashes to the ground, landing butt-first on another hat and crushing it, the curtain coming to gently rest over him like a blanket, or a shroud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laughter erupts from Chara before they even realise that it was funny. They laugh harder as they watch Asriel crawling around under the curtain, trying to find a way out, and collapse into hysterics as he tries to pull the ruins of the hat off his head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey!” Asriel says, trying to turn in Chara’s approximate direction and failing miserably. “I don’t think that was very funny.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is,” Chara chokes out. “You don’t have a head anymore. You’re just a hat!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>One of the assistants goes over to help Asriel with the hat, giving Chara a disapproving look, and when she finally pulls it away from Asriel’s head it’s with such force that they both fall down again. Tears run down Chara’s face, and they have to sit down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oww…” Asriel rubs at his head, his troubled expression clearing up as he looks at Chara. “Oh! You’re laughing!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>funny</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Chara insists, scrubbing at their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess it was pretty funny,” Asriel says. “But this is the first time I’ve even seen you smile. It’s nice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara shrugs. Their face is starting to ache a little. They rub at their cheeks to try get the smile to go away, but it won’t. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe if you smile at the other monsters, they’ll say hello,” Asriel says. “You should practice.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, my, goodness!” The head tailor, a scaly man with more heads than men usually have, runs frantically into the room. “Whatever happened here? My </span>
  <em>
    <span>hats! </span>
  </em>
  <span>My </span>
  <em>
    <span>beautiful hats!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chara and Asriel look at each other and burst out laughing again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When they’re outside the shop and Toriel demands to know what happened, Chara says, “I fell on the hats,” with complete conviction, taking Asriel’s hand and squeezing it tight all the way home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In their tiny bathroom, dressed in their new clothes that are warm and comfy and striped like Asriel’s, they practice their smile in the mirror above the sink. They aren’t very used to smiling, and they have to move each part of their face individually before they can figure out how to deliberately tilt their mouth up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a while, they look at their reflection and see something that can only possibly be a smile. It’s a perfect arc of their mouth, like the smile on the sun in Asriel’s drawings on the fridge. They nod to the mirror and walk out of the bathroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asriel drops his crayons when they show him their new smile. “Oh my gosh,” he says, laughing, “that’s so creepy, Chara!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Creepy hadn’t been the look they were going for, but they roll with it, widening their eyes until it feels like they’re going to pop and closing in on Asriel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Asriel shrieks and crawls away backwards. “Nooooo! That’s so scary! Aaaaaaaah!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They back Asriel up until he’s up against the wall, waving his arms around like that’s going to save him, then fall forwards on top of him, their face still contorted, right up against his. They stare into his eyes, breathing heavily. Then they tickle him, laughing almost as hard as he is. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Asgore comes to see what’s going on, Chara joins forces with Asriel and brutally tickles him into submission. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They’ve never felt like this before. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s good. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>All of these chapters are going to have wildly different lengths because I am working in one (1) google doc and don't know how to chapters. I swear I will be getting to the point soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. School For Monsters</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chara socialises. The learning process begins.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the first time that Chara can remember, things <em> stay </em> good. Over the next month they fall into step with the family’s routine like they’ve always lived here, and every day is achingly, beautifully predictable. </p><p>First, they wake up, usually sleeping in a little later than Asriel does. Then, they try and fail to make their bed as neatly as Toriel makes it whenever she does her mom magic. Then, they wash up and go down the hallway into the living area. If they’re early enough, they help Asriel and Toriel make breakfast. If not, they sit with Asgore and read the morning paper with him, usually taking the puzzle page out so they can do it for him. Then, they all sit together and eat. Asriel still takes the worn chair. </p><p>After that, Toriel and Asgore go to… do royal stuff, and Asriel and Chara are left to their own devices. Sometimes they tear around the house, leaping over furniture and knocking over terrified houseplants in their games. Sometimes they remember to take those games outside. Sometimes they walk around New Home hand-in-hand, greeting the other monsters together and letting Chara practice their normal-person smile. It’s starting to come a little more naturally. </p><p>When Toriel and Asgore get home, they either play outside with Asgore or clean up their messes under Toriel’s gently chiding supervision, and then the whole family helps to prepare dinner. Chara likes it when they get to chop the vegetables, which they get to do a lot because Toriel says they have a talent for it. They’ve always liked knives. </p><p>If dinner is snail pie, Chara and Asriel try their best to hide the snails, but Toriel always finds them in the end, much to their disgust. If dessert is butterscotch-and-cinnamon pie, they both rush around helping, trying to get their own favourite flavour in the pie the most. It always comes out perfectly no matter how much they put in there, which Asgore says is because Toriel is the best cook in the whole underground. Then they put their faces together and nuzzle noses while Chara and Asriel both yell <em> ewwwwwwww</em>. </p><p>After dinner is bathtime, which Chara usually spends showering in their own little bathroom, but sometimes they wait outside and fill the tub once Asriel is done. They’re working up to actually bathing <em> with </em> him, because it seems like it would be much more fun. Playing with bath toys in silence is a little lonely. </p><p>Once they’re both dry and in pyjamas, it’s time for bed. Asgore reads a story and Toriel tucks them in, kissing Asriel’s forehead and smoothing Chara’s hair. Most nights Chara falls asleep right alongside Asriel, but sometimes they can’t, for reasons they refuse to put into words, and when that happens they crawl into Asriel’s bed, waking him up, and whisper with him until they can’t stay awake anymore. </p><p>The next day, they wake up and do the whole thing again. The only difference is the weekends, where Toriel stays inside and knits while Asgore goes outside to tend to the little garden at the back of the house. Chara, it turns out, loves doing both of those things, so they have to flip a coin to decide which one they’re doing. Either way, weekends are quiet times for learning and doing things with their hands. </p><p>Then Toriel decides they need to spend time with other kids. And <em> learn </em>stuff. Chara is only interested in spending time with one other kid, but Asriel is excited and Toriel is determined, so off they go to monster school. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The school building isn’t finished yet, so school is held in a series of rooms at the back of the library. They’re in the middle room for the middle class, the kids who can read and write and do math but who aren’t ready to do the more grown-up stuff yet. The teacher, who is the middle child of the three sisters who teach the elementary level, introduces Asriel as <em> Prince Asriel, but treat him like you would any other classmate </em> and Chara as <em> Chara, the… the human whom the king and queen have adopted</em>. The monster kids look back at them both in awe. Chara likes it. </p><p>“Howdy!” Asriel says, when it’s his turn to speak. “Um, I like drawing and gardening and playing catch. I’m really glad to be here, and I hope we can all be friends!” </p><p>“Greetings,” Chara says. “I’m a human. That’s about it.” </p><p>One of the kids, a roughly humanoid figure with a box for a head and glasses balanced precariously on one corner, puts their hand up. “Hey, I was wondering… what are humans made of?” </p><p>“Creighton,” the teacher says warningly. “Don’t be rude to your new classmate.”</p><p>“No, really! Monsters are made of magic, and we’re different to humans, but <em> how </em> are we different?”</p><p>“Humans… are made of blood,” Chara says. “And squishy guts. And skeletons.” </p><p>“Wait, what?” a skeleton kid asks from the back of the class. “No way!” </p><p>“It’s true! Every human has a skeleton inside them. I broke part of mine when I fell down here, but Toriel fixed it.” </p><p>“What’s blood?” another kid, who looks kind of like a dog, asks. </p><p>“Now, that’s enough,” the teacher says firmly. “Asriel, Chara, please take your seats. Today we will be learning about multiplication.” </p><p> </p><p>At recess, the kids crowd around Asriel and Chara. After they’re bored with asking what it’s like to be a prince (mainly because Asriel refuses to give interesting answers), the topic turns back to humanity.</p><p>“You don’t have a skeleton in you,” the skeleton kid says. “It would have escaped by now.” </p><p>“It isn’t a thinking skeleton,” Chara says. “It’s just… there.” </p><p>“Show us,” a birdlike kid says. “If it’s really in there, let us see it.” </p><p>“I can’t let you see my skeleton,” Chara says, poking at their arm. “All my blood is in the way. Blood’s the red stuff that keeps humans alive. If too much of it falls out, we die.” </p><p>“Show us your blood, then,” the bird kid says. </p><p>“Okay,” Chara says. “I need something sharp. Like a knife.” </p><p>Asriel gasps. “Chara, no!” </p><p>“I won’t die. Humans have lots of blood. Does anyone have a knife?” </p><p>“I have a compass,” Creighton the box-headed kid offers, pulling it out of their pocket. </p><p>Chara takes it and carves a line into the palm of their hand, watching as the blood wells up and drips down to the ground. It hurts, but the triumph of proving a point overrides that. “There. That’s blood.” </p><p>The other kids all muffle screams. Creighton’s head spins on their shoulders, glasses flying into the air. Asriel looks like he’s going to cry. </p><p>Chara widens their eyes and tilts their lips up into the creepiest creepy smile they’ve ever managed. <em> “Now… w h o   w a n t s   t o   s e e   i t   u p   c l o s e ?”  </em></p><p>They put their hand out in front of them, blood still dripping, and walk slowly towards the other kids. The kids scream and run, and Chara gives chase, laughing. </p><p>They get lectures from two of the teachers, one librarian, <em> and </em>Toriel, but they don’t mind. School is okay. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>One day, they arrive home from school to find that Asgore and Toriel have a visitor. Asriel takes one look at the big, buff turtle guy and sprints at him, shouting, “<em>Mr Gerson!!!”  </em></p><p>“WAHAHA! Asriel, my boy!” Mr Gerson picks Asriel up and spins him around. “Your mother tells me you just started school! Seems like just yesterday I was changing your diapers in the throne room!” </p><p>“Nooooooo, that’s <em> embarrassing</em>,” Asriel mock-wails. “Oh! Mr Gerson, come and meet Chara!” </p><p>Chara gives Mr Gerson an awkward wave from where they’re standing, half-hidden behind the door. </p><p>“Ah! You must be the human child!” Mr Gerson approaches with his hand held out to shake. “I’m Gerson. They call me a hero, they call me the Hammer of Justice, but they never call me late to dinner! Wahaha!” </p><p>Chara laughs politely and shakes his hand. “Greetings. Are you here for dinner?” </p><p>“I’m here to catch up with ol’ King Fluffybuns and his lovely wife! Dinner is just a side benefit.” Gerson winks. “Dessert is even <em> more </em> of a side benefit.” </p><p>“Have you known King Fluffybuns long?” Chara asks, struggling to keep a straight face. </p><p>“Sure have,” Gerson says. “All his life! Fought in the- Well, all his life, anyway. Oh, here’s your mother with dinner!” He hurries towards Toriel, clearly relieved.</p><p> </p><p>“How many humans did you kill during the war?” Chara asks after dinner. They’re sprawled out on the rug next to Asriel, waving their hand in and out of the fire. Magical fire is still a novelty to them. </p><p>Gerson clears his throat a few times. “Well… I guess, I don’t know <em> exactly</em>, but…” </p><p>“It’s okay if you lost count,” Chara says. “I used to live with humans. I know how bad they are.” They reach out and grasp one of the largely ornamental pieces of coal in the fire. “If you ask me, you didn’t kill enough of them.” </p><p>“Chara…” Asgore doesn’t even sound disapproving. Just sad. </p><p>“I know,” Chara says, standing up and shrugging off the hand Asriel tries to put on their arm. “It’s bathtime. Asriel, do you want to bathe together tonight?” </p><p>Asriel leaps to his feet, thoroughly distracted. “Yes! Let’s play boats!” </p><p>Chara gives the adults a meaningless smile and follows him to the bathroom. </p><p> </p><p>Once Asriel is asleep, Chara creeps down the hallway and sits hunched up with their back against the wall, listening to the hushed conversation the adults are having. They can mostly pick it up. </p><p>“But do you think they are?” Gerson is asking quietly. “The… prophecy?” </p><p>“Perhaps,” Toriel says, “but… just a child.” </p><p>“But they could… the barrier… if their SOUL…” </p><p>“That... for a long time,” Asgore says. “Human lives… short, and Asriel… when the time comes.”  </p><p>“You… what it says,” Gerson says. “...since before… history. This could be it, Asgore.” </p><p>“Goodnight, Gerson,” Asgore says, and Chara hurries back to bed before they can be caught. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The next day, they ask the librarian if she has any books about the prophecy. She looks Chara up and down, then brings them a picture book with bright colours that is “appropriate for their age”. Chara makes a face, but takes it. </p><p>The book is about the war between humans and monsters. The smiling sun turns sad and covers its face with dark clouds as the faceless, angular humans push the rounded, dismayed monsters behind the barrier and seven humans in wizard robes gather around it. </p><p>“ONE OF US IS STRONGER THAN ALL OF YOU,” the head human says in large, easy-to-read text. “OUR SOULS ARE TOO STRONG.” </p><p>“WE DO NOT WANT TO HURT YOU,” the monster leader, who looks a lot like Asgore, replies. “IT IS NOT OUR FAULT WE CAN TAKE YOUR SOULS.” </p><p><em> But humans fear what they do not understand, </em> the book says, <em> and so they did not listen. The monsters were sealed underground by the humans forever. </em> The next page is all black. On the next, crying monster children in soft pastel colours raise their hands up to the faint sunlight they can see through the barrier. <em> But. </em> </p><p><em> But? </em> Chara turns the page. </p><p>
  <em> There is a prophecy. A prophecy is when somebody predicts what is going to happen in the future. The prophecy says that there will be an angel. This angel has seen the surface. And when they come back, the underground will go empty.  </em>
</p><p>“Oh,” Chara says out loud. They put the book back on the librarian’s desk and go outside in silence. Sitting on the steps, they look up towards the mountain that covers New Home like the canopy of a bed, straining their eyes, trying to see the light of the sun. </p><p>It had never occurred to them to miss it. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AO3 should have thought about how I was meant to communicate that a skeleton is talking before they made their font decisions, all I'm saying. Also if there are weird spaces in any punctuation, that's not me, that's this editor hating that sometimes I italicise before my commas.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Holiday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chara reads another book. Asgore declares a holiday!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They learn a little about monster biology in class. Everyone takes turns reading out of the textbook. Chara’s copy has little drawings in the margins from the kid who had it before them. They have decided to help add to history by drawing pretty borders on every page. This way the book is basically an heirloom, they think. </p>
<p>After Asriel finishes stuttering his way through a paragraph about how monster bodies can take any shape or size, but that doesn’t mean their soul is stronger, Chara stands up smoothly and takes over. “<em>Love, hope, compassion…” </em> </p>
<p>“Oh,” the teacher says. “Chara, maybe you shouldn’t-” </p>
<p>Chara, pleased at their successful pronunciation of compassion, doesn’t hear her. “<em>This is what people say monster SOULs are made of, but the absolute nature of SOUL is unknown. After all, humans...” </em></p>
<p>“Chara,” the teacher says again. </p>
<p>Chara takes a deep breath. <em> “After all, humans have proven their SOULs do not need these things to exist.” </em>They sit down, their chair screeching loudly in the silent classroom, and blink furiously until the drawings on the page come back into focus. </p>
<p>“Chara,” Asriel says softly, leaning over to touch their shoulder, “I think you’re-”</p>
<p>Chara pulls away so fast they nearly fall over. “<em>Don’t</em>- It’s fine. It’s fine. They’re right. They’re right about everything.” They glare at the next kid over, a small catgirl named Nancy. “Well?! It’s your turn! Did you forget how to read?” </p>
<p>As Nancy’s light, lilting voice begins the next paragraph, Chara draws and draws, lines criss-crossing one another until their pencil goes straight through the paper and all the borders are ruined. The teacher doesn’t say anything when she comes to collect the books. Chara doesn’t say anything either. They walk ahead of Asriel on the way home, and go straight to bed. </p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The next day, Asgore announces a special holiday for staying home and hanging out with your family. It is called Stay Home And Hang Out With Your Family Day. He doesn’t give a reason, for the day or for the terrible, terrible name, but Chara guesses the king doesn’t need to give reasons for the things that he does. Everyone just listens and cheers and stays home to hang out with their families. </p>
<p>Asgore, Toriel, Asriel and Chara spend most of the day outside, walking around the patches of grass that grow around the castle. Asriel rides on Asgore’s shoulders and Chara holds Asgore and Toriel’s hands. Every so often, the two of them swing Chara up in a great arc that nearly turns them upside down. Chara thinks that if they let go they would fly up to the top of the castle, or maybe even further, right up to the ceiling of the mountain, and they laugh breathlessly. </p>
<p>Toriel sets up a picnic, in a spot where it seems like you can see the whole underground, and she and Asgore sit and nuzzle noses like they’re practicing for the next big contest, which they possibly are. Chara’s seen their trophies. They grab Asriel’s hand and run away through the grass instead of being associated with that mess. </p>
<p>Chara keeps their eyes closed while Asriel drags them around the picnic site. The game is to keep your eyes shut and then guess where you are when your partner stops. Asriel is much better at it than Chara, and Chara is currently having to fight the urge to lead Asriel into a tree whenever it’s their turn. It’s not <em> their </em> fault they don’t know the underground as well. Asriel is pretty much cheating. </p>
<p>Speaking of which, Asriel has come to a stop. “Okay, now it’s time to guess, Chara! No peeking!” </p>
<p>Keeping their eyes shut, Chara waves their hands around. No trees or buildings. They listen. Nothing but the wind and the distant sound of Toriel and Asgore being sappy. They inhale. “Are those… flowers? We’re near flowers, aren’t we?” </p>
<p>“That’s right!” Asriel says, delighted. “You got it!” </p>
<p>Chara opens their eyes to see a patch of shimmering yellow flowers in front of them. “Oh. I didn’t know we had these. Buttercups, right?” </p>
<p>“I found them the other day and I wanted to show you,” Asriel says, looking like he’s about to bubble over with happiness. “Are they as good as the ones on the surface?” </p>
<p>“No,” Chara says, not quite thoughtlessly. “The ones in my village were <em> gold</em>, like <em> real </em> gold, not just yellow.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Asriel says. He kind of reminds Chara of a week old balloon. </p>
<p>“These are okay, though,” Chara says. “Do you think- uh... do you think Mom and Dad would like them?” The words taste strange in their mouth, and they make a face, but Asriel is practically glowing. </p>
<p>“I think they’d <em> love </em> them,” he says. “I’ll make Dad a flower crown, and you can make Mom a bouquet! Um, if that’s alright.” </p>
<p>“You should have stopped earlier,” Chara says, going to pick some of the flowers. “You sounded almost royal.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the nose-nuzzling coast is clear, they go back to the picnic. Asriel runs up to Asgore with his crown, shouting, “Dad! Dad! I made you something!” Chara follows a little slower, fidgeting with the bouquet behind their back. </p>
<p>“Oh, this is perfect!” Asgore says. “I’ve been thinking of a new crown for the weekends. Go ahead, crown me.” He lowers his head gracefully for Asriel to place the flowers on it. </p>
<p>“Rise, Double King Asgore,” Asriel says, giggling. “Chara! It’s your turn!” </p>
<p>Chara clears their throat, unsure how to approach this. Now that they’re actually looking at Toriel’s gentle, expectant smile, sincerity is sticking in their throat. It’s too big. They can’t do it. </p>
<p>Finally, after enough time has passed that it’s thoroughly weird, they bow deeply, presenting the bouquet. “For you, Your Royal Momjesty.” </p>
<p>There’s a moment of silence, just enough time for Chara to reach the edge of panicking, then Toriel pulls them into a huge, sweeping hug. “Oh, Chara,” she says quietly. “That means so much to me.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is short as all hell because the next section is long and deals with an entirely different thing. I told you I'm terrible with chapters.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Fight Interface In This Game Is A Real Tangible Thing Like What Am I Supposed To Do With That</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>See title.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The school building is finished two months later, which means that their library school is moving and merging with other unofficial schools across New Home. Their little class of seven doesn’t remain intact. Creighton the box kid is really smart and Starlin the bird kid is a year older than Chara and Asriel, so they both move into the grade above. Nancy the cat kid and Lycus the dog kid- wait, no, <em> wolf </em> kid, those are apparently different- are a year younger, so they move down a grade. That leaves Chara, Asriel, Roman the skeleton kid, and a whole bunch of new monsters. </p><p>Most of them are okay. There’s Holly the deer girl, a round, one-eyed monster named Lousie (who goes by Lou), Ellis the moth boy, Limey the ghost, Harley the slime, and Cordelia the mushroom. Those are good kids. Friendly. Then there’s the two jerks, Shimi the fish boy and Rache the spider. They are... jerks. </p><p> </p><p>On the third day of new school, they learn a little about Boss Monsters. Boss Monsters are really big and strong, and unlike other monsters their SOULs stick around for a few seconds after they die, which means theoretically they could be absorbed by anyone, even a human. They also don’t age unless they have a child to put their soul into. Which means…</p><p>“Wow!” Roman says. “Does that mean if the King and Queen didn’t have Asriel, they’d never get old?” </p><p>“That’s right,” their new teacher says. Chara already didn’t like him as much as their old teacher, and their dislike is increasing by the second. “Theoretically, they may even live forever. We don’t know, because no Boss Monster has ever lived to <em> not </em> have children.”</p><p>"I wonder what it’s like to live forever?” Roman, who unbeknownst to him is on <em> very </em> thin ice, looks off into the distance for a moment, then rummages in his desk. “I’m gonna write about that in my story!” </p><p>“Not in science class,” the teacher says. “Now, as I was saying…” </p><p>The teacher talks about some other stuff, but Chara isn’t paying attention. They’re watching Asriel curl in on himself three seats away and hoping he can make it home before he loses it. </p><p>He can’t, of course. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>At lunchtime, Chara takes a minute to organise their desk and get rid of Roman, who wants to write a story about a human who is friends with the skeleton inside them and who therefore has <em> a lot </em> of questions, while Asriel goes straight to the cafeteria, head still down. Once they’re ready, they hurry after Asriel, and are about to round a corner when they hear a wobbly little voice say, “Shut up…”</p><p>It’s Asriel. </p><p>“Oh, are you going to cry?” That’s Shimi. </p><p>“Gonna cry like a little baby?” And <em> that’s </em>Rache, her voice mocking. “Gonna cry like a little bitty baby that’s killing his parents?” </p><p>“Stop saying that!” Asriel half-shouts. </p><p>“It’s true, though,” Shimi says. “Your parents would never die if they didn’t have you. They’d be young forever.”</p><p>“I guess that makes you a murderer,” Rache adds. </p><p>“Shut… up…” Asriel sniffles, and Chara comes around the corner. </p><p>“What the <em> fuck </em> are you jerks talking about?” They note distantly that they just broke the school’s no-cussing rules, but dismiss it. After all, they’re about to break a lot more. </p><p>Shimi raises his eyebrow ridges. “Just science. It’s what we learned in class.” </p><p>“Why?” Rache asks, her mouth turning up in a smirk. “You wanna make something of it?” </p><p>“Maybe I do.” Chara starts running, Rache and Shimi’s faces change…</p><p>And Chara sees the FIGHT interface for the first time. </p><p> </p><p>For a moment, they think maybe they just passed out. The world around them goes dark and though they can feel their body still in a sprinting position, they aren’t moving. Then they realise that things… look different. </p><p>Rache and Shimi are there but sketched out in bright white lines against the background. They aren’t moving like they normally would, just making repetitive bobbing motions. A red heart like one ripped off a Valentine’s Day card floats in the air in front of Chara, and there are boxes, with words printed on them. Not physical boxes like cardboard, just… hanging there, suspended in the darkness, like the world is a blackboard and someone has chalk. </p><p> </p><p>FIGHT. </p><p>ACT. </p><p>ITEM. </p><p>MERCY. </p><p> </p><p>Chara doesn’t know what any of it means. Drama isn’t until tomorrow, they don’t have anything of note in their pockets, and mercy is the <em> last </em> thing on their mind, so… <em> FIGHT, right?  </em></p><p>The FIGHT box bows inward as though it has been pressed, and Chara swings their fist hard into Rache’s face. </p><p>“YOU JERK!” Rache yells, except it comes up in… a speech bubble? </p><p>“Eat bullets!” The same thing happens to Shimi’s words, and Chara watches as the red heart is encased in a box. A web forms inside the box, with the heart at the centre, and water droplets begin to fall down. </p><p>One of them hits the heart, and Chara feels a pain in their chest like they’ve just been punched. <em> Okay, </em> they think, <em> so that’s me. Can this... kill me? Are we in a fight to the death?  </em></p><p>Another droplet is heading for the heart. Chara sidesteps, concentrating hard, and the heart slides off to the left, along one of the lines of the web. The remaining droplets miss it, and then dry up, and the boxes appear again. Chara thinks <em> FIGHT </em> without even thinking about it, and aims for Shimi this time. <em> Thwack</em>. </p><p>“Oww…” Shimi says in his speech bubble. </p><p>“Hey, uh, maybe we can talk this one out?” As soon as Rache finishes speaking, the web appears again. A tidal wave rolls in from the left of the box, and Chara moves the heart sideways, keeping just in front of it until it breaks and drops of water rain down again. With nowhere to go, they catch a couple of the bullets like punches to the gut. <em> Fight to the death, then. Okay. </em></p><p>The boxes reappear, and Chara is just about to think <em> FIGHT </em> again when someone shouts, “What’s going on here?!” It sounds an awful lot like the principal. They turn to look, then lock eyes with Shimi and Rache. </p><p>Asriel grabs Chara’s hand, and by mutual agreement, all of them FLEE. </p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Chara leans against the wall outside the cafeteria, breathing hard. Nothing is broken, and they aren’t bleeding, but they feel somehow drained. Like their… life has been taken out. </p><p>Asriel is sitting on the floor next to them, hunched up so his face is against his knees. His shoulders are shaking. Chara doesn’t know what to do to comfort him, but seeing him cry is making them feel like they did when they tripped on the mountain, that awful certainty of falling as the ground opened wide. They have to make it stop, but they don’t know how to make it better. How can they make this <em> better? </em> </p><p>“Quit crying,” they say roughly, nudging Asriel’s shoulder harder than they probably should. “What are you, a baby?” </p><p>“Ch- Chara?” Asriel looks up. Tears are staining his face, and Chara’s stomach is twisting at the sight of them. </p><p>“Are you a baby?” they repeat, louder. </p><p>“No,” Asriel says, looking wounded. “I’m- I’m a big kid.” </p><p>“Then quit crying. Only babies cry.” Chara offers Asriel a hand up. “Big kids don’t cry, you hear me? They deal with their stuff and they move on.” </p><p>Asriel takes Chara’s hand and stands up, scrubbing at his face with his sleeve. “Right. You’re right. Big kids don’t cry. I don’t know what I was thinking. Thanks, Chara.” He gives them a watery smile. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” </p><p>“Cry a whole lot more,” Chara says. “And fail math.” </p><p>“Hey!” Asriel says. “If I failed math, you’d fail… something that isn’t math!” </p><p><em> Everything else, </em> Chara thinks. <em> Having a family. Being happy. Being alive. </em>“Wow,” they say, instead of any of those things. “Nice comeback.” </p><p>Asriel sticks his tongue out at them. “You should eat something,” he says. “Dad says if you get hurt in a FIGHT, eating will heal you.” </p><p>Chara nods and looks up at the cafeteria window. “I think the kitchen is just along this wall,” they say, beckoning Asriel. “Come on. I can’t reach the window without you.” </p><p>“You’re going to- Chara, we can’t just- hey, wait!” Asriel rushes after Chara, who is already walking. “We can’t just <em> steal </em> something! Mom packed us lunches!” </p><p>“Do <em> you </em> wanna go back inside the school right now?” Chara asks. “Because if you feel like getting dragged to the principal’s office and yelled at for fighting, you be my guest.” </p><p>“I guess not,” Asriel mumbles. “But what if we get caught?” </p><p>“We won’t get caught,” Chara assures him. </p><p>They get caught. </p><p> </p><p>“I cannot <em> believe </em> you two,” Toriel says when she comes to pick them up from school. “Breaking and entering, theft, <em> swearing </em> … Chara, perhaps we have not been clear enough on the rules with you, but Asriel, I <em> know </em> you know better.” </p><p>“I know, Mom,” Asriel says miserably. He sounds like he’s going to cry, but when Chara looks over at him he straightens up and firms his jaw. Good.</p><p>“We were just hungry,” Chara says. “We felt like we were going to starve. To <em> death </em>.” </p><p>“Chara, if your lunch isn’t big enough you need to <em> tell </em> me,” Toriel says, putting her hand on their head. “I can make you more food. You don’t have to break the cafeteria window trying to get more.” </p><p>“That part was an accident,” Asriel mumbles. “I fell.” </p><p>“It wasn’t that,” Chara says, kicking at the floor. “We couldn’t go get our lunches because the principal was looking for us.” </p><p>Toriel takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and exhales. “And <em> why </em> was the principal looking for you?”</p><p>“I had to teach some jerks a lesson.” Chara refuses to feel bad about this, even as Toriel’s expression turns further towards despair. </p><p>“Oh, Chara. Fighting too?” </p><p>“It wasn’t their fault!” Asriel pipes up. “They were looking out for me. Some kids said… they said…” </p><p>“They said Asriel was killing you,” Chara says, tilting their chin up stubbornly and looking Toriel in the eye. “Because if you didn’t have him, you’d live forever.” </p><p>There is a long silence. Chara can hear Asriel sniffling beside them, but they don’t look. </p><p>“Let’s go home,” Toriel says, taking their hands. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>At home, Chara and Asriel eat their sandwiches in silence, huddled up on Asriel’s bed, trying to make out what Toriel and Asgore are saying to one another. They aren’t yelling, and there’s no angry tones, but Chara is pretty sure Toriel at least is very frustrated. They kind of want to hide in the closet and leave Asriel to face the consequences alone, but that would be too much of a jerk move for even him to forgive. At least the sandwich makes them feel more alive. </p><p>They aren’t afraid. Not really. They just… don’t know how many clothes will fit in their backpack. They don’t need toys, but they’ll have to take food. The library will do for books. They found a cool stick that will serve as a weapon. New Home doesn’t really get cold, but further down the mountain in the lava fields might be better for winter, and…</p><p>“Chara?” Asriel whispers. “What are you talking about?” </p><p>The door opens, and Chara bolts off Asriel’s bed and onto their own without answering. Sitting together wasn’t explicitly banned or anything, but they don’t want to take chances. </p><p>Toriel, who definitely caught the motion, gives them an odd, soft look. They shrug defensively at her. “I can be out by tonight. Just don’t rush me.” </p><p>“Oh, Chara, <em> no</em>,” Asgore says, coming to sit down on Asriel’s bed and pulling him into a hug. “That wasn’t even on the table. We would never throw you out.” </p><p>“Okay,” Chara says quietly. </p><p>“You <em> are </em> still in trouble,” Toriel says, and Chara thinks <em> damn</em>. “The two of you are going to be doing some work around the school to make up for the window you broke.” </p><p>“Think of it as a lesson in responsibility,” Asgore adds. “Now, about the children who upset Asriel…” </p><p>“They don’t have names,” Asriel says before Chara can open their mouth. “I mean… they don’t deserve to get in really big trouble just because we’re important, do they? Chara already made them sorry. They won’t do it again.” </p><p>Asgore and Toriel look at each other. “That… makes sense,” Asgore says slowly. Toriel looks like she wants to disagree, but she doesn’t. “You won the FIGHT, then?” </p><p>Chara nods. “It was weird, though. Everything went dark, and there was a heart, and… bullets?” </p><p>“That is how monsters do battle,” Asgore says. “It’s how we do a lot of things.” </p><p>“It was really slow,” Chara says. “We had to take turns. Humans don’t take turns when they fight. They just hit you over and over until you pass out or die or something.” </p><p>“Monsters know that very well,” Asgore says gently. </p><p>Chara slides off their bed and goes to sit on Asriel’s. They weren’t intending to make contact, but Toriel shuffles over a little and they end up squeezing between her and Asgore. It doesn’t feel bad. It’s warm. “Humans are unfair like that. They’re unfair all the time, about everything.” </p><p>“I like to think that after all this time, we could be friends with them again.” Asgore rests his hand on their shoulder. </p><p>“You couldn’t,” Chara says. “Humans are the <em> worst</em>. And you can’t get back up there anyway. There’s the barrier.” </p><p>Asgore hums. “I suppose so. But I still think there is hope for that.”</p><p>“Mom? Dad?” Asriel asks in a small voice. “Was what we learned at school true? About Boss Monsters?” </p><p>They look at each other again. This time, Toriel takes the initiative. “Yes, but a simple explanation at school is missing all of the important things. We already know about Boss Monsters aging. We’ve lived it, after all. We understood what was going to happen when we decided to have a baby.” </p><p>“But why?” Asriel asks. “Why did you do it?” </p><p>“Because it gave you to us,” she says, stroking Asriel’s head. “And we love you. We wanted you. You are the best decision either one of us has ever made.” </p><p>“We would rather live fifty years with you than a thousand years without,” Asgore says. “Or ten thousand years. Or a million years. We <em> will </em>eventually die, but we will be happy with the lives we have lived.” </p><p>“Oh,” Asriel says. “But… you’re not going to die for fifty years? Do you promise?” </p><p>“At least fifty years,” Toriel says. “Probably more. There’s life in these old goats yet.” </p><p>“And Chara?” Asriel turns to look at them. </p><p>“No promises,” Chara says, ignoring how Asriel’s face falls. “But I’ll try keep up with you.” </p><p>“I think you’ll both be okay.” Asgore says. “The two of you are the future of humans and monsters. And also you’re grounded.” </p><p>Chara and Asriel both groan. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have no idea how everyone else makes this stuff work, but I kind of imagine it as like a magical effect that is innate to close combat with a monster? So humans do war between themselves like humans always do, but if they were engaging monsters up close then they would be forced into FIGHTs. For that reason, they rarely engaged monsters in single combat during the war, preferring either rushing them in a group or ranged attacks. Not that it mattered, since we know powerful enough humans can oneshot pretty much all monsters.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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